"Hey, has anyone else noticed Blythe's been acting a little... strange lately?" Minka suddenly piped in as she watched the human girl stand up from the interview chair, fixed up her hair a little, and swoop Zoe up, leaving an angry Judi Jo Jameson glaring and growling behind her.

"Uh... Hopefully it's just nerves getting the better of her," Russell responded, sounding like he's trying to convince himself more than he is Minka. Giving his head a quick shake to clear it, he leaped into a trot in following Blythe out of the room with the monkey following at his heels.

"Blythe," they heard Zoe bark as they reached the doorway of the performance practice room. "You're not getting too... carried away by this, are you?"

"'Course not, Sugarcube," Blythe smiled in her custom southern accent. "Judi Jo's just being a big ol' jerk who doubts the talent of this beautiful dog standin' right in front of me." She stroked the dog's fur before turning to Russell and Minka. "Y'all two make sure she's practicin' for the pageant, ya hear? Gotta get every detail just so if we wanna beat Judi Jo, am I right?" And with that, she walked past the monkey and hedgehog, casually whistling a tune.

"Nerves getting the better of her, huh?" Minka grunted at Russell, who smiled nervously and shrugged.

"I don't know about you, but I'm beginning to not like being in this dog pageant if it means Blythe acts this way," Zoe sighed, hopping down from the stage Blythe had previously placed her on.

"Well, there's no use crying over spilled milk. Come on, let's get started on your dance routine." Russell gestured with a paw for Zoe to follow, and Minka just sat down and watched with a grin.

"Except I don't know which dance moves to use," the dog yipped. "The only moves I know are those to 'Dance Like You Know You Can", but that won't surpass."

"That's where I come in," the hedgehog smiled as he stopped walking and turned to his friend. "I'll give you some dance moves to use for the pageant."

"You?" Zoe couldn't help but burst out laughing; Minka too found it difficult to keep in giggles of amusement.

"Okay, haha, very funny," Russell grunted, crossing his arms. "Now could you actually be serious?"

"Wait, you're serious?! You're not a dancer, dear, you're... well..." She looked up when the hedgehog cleared his throat sharply. "Oh, sorry. Yes, I think it's just fine. Please go ahead."

Taking a few more seconds before speaking, Russell relaxed his arms along his sides. "Okay. This is just an idea."

Zoe's eyes widened as she watched the usually uptight pet dance and spin around gracefully. She had never seen this side of him before, and she had to admit she was impressed with what she saw. Each step and spin was just so... mesmerizing, and to think she was about to do these same moves! Granted she was paying more attention to the pet who was dancing rather than the dance itself.

The way Russell just spun around in front of her... It was as if it were second-nature for him. He was as graceful as Penny Ling, and at the same time as ambitious as Vinnie, not too soft, not too hardcore. She stretched her mouth into a large smile and clapped her paws together in admiration, her tail wagging almost a mile a minute, as she watched the hedgehog perform the final steps to the dance.

"Uh... As I said... it's just an idea," Russell muttered self-consciously when he finished, panting softly from the effort.

"One that I will most certain use at that!" Zoe yipped; now her tail was wagging a mile a minute. "Oh, you were just fabulous! I... I never knew you could do anything like that."

"Well... It's not really anything to bask under..." the hedgehog chuckled nervously, looking down and rocking back and forth on his paws shyly.

"With you, Russell," Zoe smiled, placing a purple paw under his chin to lift his head up so she could look into his shining green eyes. "I'd be silly not to."